HIV and Access to Healthcare

The treatments landscape has changed. Modern medications are safer, easier to take, and much more effective at suppressing the virus. Treating HIV immediately reduces the amount of HIV in body reservoirs, reduces the amount of chronic inflammation that HIV causes, and also prevents the onset of other serious chronic diseases. Access to HIV medications is more important than ever. Access must be convenient, affordable with a minimum of prescription barriers.

HIV medication in community pharmacies

Positive Life NSW has long advocated for the dispensing of HIV medications by community pharmacies (chemists) and we strongly support the introduction of a more flexible HIV medication dispensing model aimed at providing people with HIV with a range of access options in a convenient accessible manner.

The EMA Scheme

The EMA Scheme was superseded in 2015 by the move to community pharmacy dispensing of HIV medications. It was run out of the Albion Centre pharmacy and enabled people with HIV who are stable on treatment to have their medications posted to their home or a nominated community pharmacy.